TEA-21 - Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century Moving Americans into the 21st Century
	Fact Sheet
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NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAYS PROGRAM
Year	1997 (ISTEA)	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Authorization	$14M	$23.5M	$23.5M	$24.5M	$24.5M	$25.5M	$26.5M

Program Purpose

The National Scenic Byways Program provides for the designation by the Secretary of Transportation of roads that have outstanding scenic, historic, cultural, natural, recreational, and archaeological qualities as All-American Roads (AAR) or National Scenic Byways (NSB). The program also provides discretionary grants for scenic byway projects on an AAR, an NSB, or a State-designated scenic byway and for planning, designing, and developing State scenic byway programs. [1219]

National Designations

Continues the designations of AARs and NSBs in accordance with criteria developed by the Secretary.

Continues the requirement that a road be designated as a State scenic byway or a Federal land management agency byway before being considered for national designation.

Federal Share

Modifies the Federal share provisions to allow Federal land management agencies to provide the non-Federal share for projects on Federal or Indian lands.

Eligibility

Expands the list of eligible activities to include the development and implementation of scenic byway marketing programs.

Project Qualification

Continues the requirement that a project must protect the scenic, historic, cultural, natural, recreational, and archaeological integrity of a highway and adjacent areas.

Establishes the following priorities for making grant decisions:

• Projects on routes designated as either an AAR or an NSB.

• Projects that would make routes eligible for designation as either an AAR or an NSB.

• Projects associated with developing State scenic byway programs.

September 14, 1998